A review by danimcthomas
Ripper by Isabel Allende

adventurous dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This book has rich, beautifully developed characters, but it that strength almost teeters into weakness... don’t get me wrong - I love getting a random backstory even about cursory characters but it did delay the pace of the book, which really didn’t pick up until 75% of the way through. Still, I enjoyed it. I’m glad I pushed through the slow parts. It was a little tropey at points but I’m not sure there’s a way to write a murder mystery that’s not at least a little tropey.
The storytelling, tone, and level of detail reminds me a lot of Stephen King, which I consider to be a plus.